Identitary representation in planning practices
by David Fanfani


Development sustainability issues are often a subject of debate. In fact themes related to the recognition of identitary and territorial values are considered to be the foundation for local development.
In physical planning and local development practices we witness some experiences leaned to the acknowledgement of community values of resources and public goods that represent the basis for the local society identity itself.
The concepts of heritage (legacy) and territorial identity find therefore peculiar experimentation plots in some multidimensional mapping experiences that deal with the attempt to represent and visualize such a legacy - often through the participation and sharing with the local communities. These experiences try to set viable methods, procedures, representation codes as well as framing tools to adopt common choices and policies about the use of local resources, that are based on the recognition of the main environmental, social and settlement qualities and patterns and expressed through innovative representation techniques and skills..
The cases illustrated in these "best sites" represent, on the whole, an interesting range of different practices containing features often related to the various scale and context of the experiences that have been analysed. The different cases are classified into four groups that sum up the main profile of each case and are defined according to the main goals and methodology highlighted in each case. Each group often overlaps with another group, but this classification might be helpful to get at a glance the terms of issues and methodologies involved in this matter. The groups are:
- statutory mapping and design,
- community mapping,
- ppgis and gis oriented mapping,
- identitary regionalization.


1. Statutory mapping and design

Heritage Maps and Atlases
Statutory mapping and design are forms of representation that have been especially developed and adopted with the aim to acknowledge a lasting territorial structure as basis for local identity and sense of belonging.
Furthermore the concept of territorial heritage (patrimonio) is the starting point for the shared recognition of the structural constant features and the statute of the territory in physical planning processes and for the definition of "sustainable use" and performance rules for the local resources.
The territorial heritage is mainly charted through the involvement of expert skills and is addressed in particular to environmental, settlement and cultural features and assets. In some Italian regions ( i.e. Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Liguria) the map is of crucial importance to draft a "structural plan" which is the statutory and less variable part of the plan, that forms the framework for a second part aimed to land use and building rights and rules.
Some recent experiences have tried to use the heritage mapping approach to build up some "Heritage Atlases" aimed to point out to the local community and administrative bodies the values and resources of their regions from a physical, cultural and socio economic point of view.
http://www3.unifi.it/clupta/CMpro-v-p-26.html

 


Charte Paysagere
It is a shared document set out through the collaboration work of local actors, administrative bodies, landscape and urban planners.
In fact aggregation, is a device to promote local landscape values by taking into consideration the various features - such as ecology, agriculture, settlements , economy, culture - that contribute to its constitution.
The shared approach used to set out analysis and rules with the local community makes this document extremely helpful to support local identity and integrate the different development choices and land use plans.
http://www.cc-montesquieu.fr/index_fr.php?page=fr/participer/charte%20paysagere.php




Village design statements
The village design statement is a device promoted by the UK Countryside agency with the aim to develop the local community appreciation and understanding of their own place in the process of local statutory planning system. Although a VDS is an advisory document produced with the village community participation and not by planning experts or authority, it can influence formal statutory instruments as parish and local plans. Furthermore a VDS is part of the assessment process for all the local planning applications. It has been produced with the consensus and participation of the whole community and has been formally adopted by the local planning authority. VDS highlight the local distinctiveness of the environment and shows how such a feature can be identified through:
- the landscape setting of the village;
- Settlements' morphological profile;
- the nature of the buildings themselves.
According to the data supplied by the Countryside Agency almost 200 VDS have been adopted up to now by English village communities
http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/CC/landscape/village/introduction.asp http://www.kentdowns.org.uk/vds.html


2. Community and cultural mapping  

Parish Maps
The idea of parish mapping started at the beginning of the 1980s and was promoted by the environmental network association Common Ground.
This experience was developed in particular by the UK. Remarkable is the West Sussex Millennium Parish map project edited by Kim Leslie.
Parish maps are quite different from the traditional or geometrical ones. They represent, through the citizens participation and the use of different techniques and media, the peculiar features that constitute the local distinctiveness of a place and the roots of the sense of belonging.
These maps have not been drawn by experts or planners. They focus mostly on three main strands:
- wildlife;
- local history and tradition;
- living spaces of today.
The aim of the maps is to endow citizens with sense of belonging. Parish maps are the starting point to develop local action, plans and projects (i.e. see the Village design statements experience) that are in line with the local features and policies .
http://www.england-in-particular.info/parishmaps/m-index.html


Green Maps system
The Green Map System (GMS) is a locally adaptable, globally shared framework for environmental mapmaking. It invites design teams of all ages and backgrounds to illuminate the connections between natural and human environments by mapping their local urban or rural community. Using GMS's shared visual language--a collaboratively designed set of icons representing the different kinds of green sites and cultural resources--Mapmakers are independently producing unique, regionally flavoured images that fulfil local needs, yet are globally connected. (quoted from the GMS website). Maps chart the main social, cultural, historical and environmental resources, merging new and traditional representation tools and increasing the awareness of the residents about their living place and a vibrant and attractive image for the tourists. It is worthy to note that the network has grown fast in the last few years. There are over 70 Green Map projects in progress around the world, 44 maps have been completed. Over 100 cities in 35 countries on six continents are involved. A Green Map Atlas printed and on line edition, Volume One was published in 2004, is now available.
http://www.greenmap.com/home/home.html
http://greenatlas.org/
   


3.PP GIS and Gis oriented mapping

Common ground -IAPAD
Gis oriented community mapping and public participation Gis (PPGis) are new forms of visualizing the peculiar features of places by using the potentials of the new digital and information technologies for the involvement of the local communities in the decision making process about the land and resources use.
This method, promoted by the international network Common ground, finds an interesting application in the experience of the Participatory 3 dimensional modelling (P3DM) in the context of IAPAD (Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development).
Such an experience runs a participatory grassrooted process that allow to merge people's mental map with conventional spatial information by three-dimensional modelling. The method make easier the visualization of the local people knowledge about places through spatial data sharing.
http://www.iapad.org/index.htm
http://www.iapad.org/participatory_p3dm.htm

 
Bioregional and aboriginal nation mapping
A less direct and participatory use of the Gis Community mapping techniques is related to some experiences of bioregional mapping in north America. These bioregional maps are aimed in particular to chart the basic environmental features of the regions or the cultural legacy of the different Indian nations.
http://www.nativemaps.org/methods/bioregion.html
http://www.nativemaps.org/map_gallery.html
http://www.ecotrustcan.org/gis.shtml



4. Identitary regionalization

This approach aims to define development processes that lean on various substantial qualities of the examined regions. The practices are characterized by a "bottom-up" method and develop plans and actions focused on the active "negotiation" role of local and regional communities.
These experiences - referred in particular to French "pays" and Spanish "comarcas"- have not been worked out at administrative level, but are instead based on a local agreement whose main goals are:
- building an integrated knowledge basis about physical, cultural and socio economic resources;
- promoting local awareness about the local heritage, skills and self reliance capacity;
- setting out an agreement document that points out the main strategic goals of local development in a "bottom-up" perspective.
Visual and iconic forms and techniques of representation are less important than the previous ones. Nevertheless remarkable is the attempt to define the region boundaries for local development dealing with local capabilities - in the framework of territorial identity recognition - and not only with statistical and economic data.
http://www.comarcasdegalicia.com/index.asp?idIdioma
=2&idMenu=18&idComarca=42&clip=41
http://www.projetdeterritoire.com/spip/dossier.php3?id_rubrique=32